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Communication Fellows
Each year, the top forty incoming communication majors are granted access into High Point University’s Communication Fellows Program. This program provides students with an immersive, holistic understanding of media production and practices, with an emphasis on technical proficiency, aesthetics, storytelling, persuasion and critical thinking. The fellows are closely mentored by faculty members with professional and academic media backgrounds. They partake in real-world projects in a client/agency model, work together to develop and oversee unique research projects, travel domestically and internationally to examine trends in the media industry and receive extra training in professional development. They will graduate with a polished portfolio, resume and interviewing skills needed to launch a career in the communication industry of their choice.
Scholarship Information
Communication Fellows will receive a $3,000 scholarship renewable annually based on academic performance and continued participation in the program. This is in addition to any Presidential or High Point Scholarship. Fellows must meet GPA and professionalism requirements to be awarded continuation of their fellowship into the next academic year.
How to Apply
To be considered for membership into the Communication Fellows Program, you must first submit your High Point University undergraduate admissions application. The Communication Fellows Program application is available to students who plan to major in Media Production and Entrepreneurship, Game and Interactive Media Design, Journalism, Popular Culture and Media Production, Sport Communication and Strategic Communication.
If you would like to be considered for HPU’s Communication Fellows Program, please complete your application through your PantherPage by February 1 for priority applicants, and by March 1 for all others.
Exclusive access to Television Critics Association
Will you cut the show business line? Our majors used to be focused on tv/film production, but now they’re expanded to PR, games and more!
There’s no business like show business, and when it comes to preparing for a career in Hollywood, New York or London, there’s no place like High Point University.
Last year, a group of students gained a career-defining experience as part of HPU’s exclusive Communication Fellows Program. During the annual trip, students gained insights through access to private panels and tours of Google, YouTube, Hulu and Headquarters Post.
This one-of-a-kind trip proved invaluable in getting students’ “feet in the door” – the HPU Communication Fellows became the very first group of students to ever be allowed into the Television Critics Association’s (TCA’s) NBC University Press Tour, where they were invited to sit in while executive producers and stars from all different networks pitched their new and returning shows to the TCA, spotlighting FX’s 2018 Fall line-up. HPU Communication Fellows also worked together to script, film and edit a documentary about a surfer, and included traveling to the Vans US Open to interview professional surfers. For our upcoming trip to Los Angeles, students are planning a fundraising event for a nonprofit organization. We are also planning to visit news, games, public relations/marketing agencies, and event management companies in our Los Angeles and Atlanta trips.
The Four-Year Program
Freshman Year
Fellows take four courses together as a cohort
Attend workshops and presentations by media industry professionals
Enjoy two excursions to explore local and regional production facilities and meet media professionals
Attend a ROPES course day event
Be assigned a peer mentor
Sophomore Year
Work together on a real-world project in a client/agency model
Attend special seminars taught by media professionals and academics
Present their individual research or creative projects in a showcase
Travel to a U.S. major city (e.g., Los Angeles) to explore the media environment and connect with media professionals
Peer mentor first-year fellows
Junior Year
Be mentored by a faculty member within their specialization
Develop and execute a team-based creative or research project
Present their individual research or creative works in a public showcase
Attend special seminars taught by media professionals and academics about professional development
Be provided an opportunity to travel to a major international city (e.g., London or Vancouver) to explore the media environment and connect with media professionals
Be provided opportunities to travel to a professional communication conference (e.g. PRSA)
Peer mentor second-year fellows
Senior Year
Be mentored by a faculty member within their specialization
Develop and execute a team-based creative or research project
Present their individual research or creative projects in a showcase
Attend special seminars taught by media professionals and academics about professional development
Be provided the opportunity to travel to a major international city (e.g., London or Vancouver) to explore the media environment and connect with media professionals
Be provided opportunities to travel to a professional communication conference (e.g., PRSA; BEA)
Peer mentor third-year fellows
Insights from industry professionals
Joe Michaels
Joe Michaels, director of NBC’s “TODAY” show for 22 years, recently joined the faculty of the HPU Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. Michaels is a eight-time Emmy award-winning director and a two-time Director’s Guild of America Honoree. He began his career in television as an associate director and director for NBC Sports. Millions of fans watch his work on other Emmy winning telecasts including The World Series, The Super Bowl, Wimbledon Tennis, Olympics, NBC Game of the Week, Orange Bowl, Hula Bowl and NBC SportsWorld.
“I am excited to be a part of the HPU family. It has always been a dream of mine to help to develop world-class leaders in the media space. The opportunity to work with such a diverse group of students and professionals makes this challenge a perfect fit. In my own career, I have always reached out for total excellence, and High Point University is an institution devoted to being extraordinary.”
Contact Information
For more information on the Communication Fellows program, please contact Professor Kristina Bell at kbell@highpoint.edu
